Mosquito Repellent
Mosquito Repellent is the second song on the collaboration EP Black Pear Tree. Lyrics All day all day Sweeping out the shards Do what I have to do Try to start anew But I thought of you twice Couldn't help myself I don't know what I need Clutching and fingering the rosary beads But I try, try, try, but I know I can't let go Try, try, try, but I know I can't let go TV upstairs Leave it on all night Do what I have to do Add, subtract, and divide by two But my eyes light up At Cops and Robbers time I hope the bad guys win I hope the good guys get their skulls bashed in And I try, try, try, but I know I can't let go I can't let go Comments by John Darnielle About this Song *"So on the one hand, it's not good to speak in generalities, but on the other hand, it is the case that when a young man begins to write indie rock songs, he often thinks there are few figures more romantic that he could cut than that of a lover who has been wronged and who is wearing his pain like a great mask with which to torment the woman who he once loved and who he will always love and will write several hundred songs about, releasing them on split seven-inches, compilations, limited cassettes, and occasionally as an exclusive on his MySpace. So one generally, with noteworthy exceptions, outgrows this writing tendency on account of it's juvenile. But, but every once in a while, you want to go revisit that tortured lover who, whose torturedness is so massively tortured that no one can really comprehend the extent of the torture. You know, so when Kaki King, one of my favorite musicians on the planet, sent me an instrumental to write lyrics for, I thought, 'You know what, I gotta go back to the tortured, unquiet lover guy. Let me see what he has to say.' It is the first - King: "It's so unlike you." Yes, I know. It's the first song I've written in that voice in a long time. It's called 'Mosquito Repellent'." -- 2008-11-08 - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY Things Referenced in this Song Live Shows this Song Was Played at *2008-10-13 - Park West - Chicago, IL *2008-10-14 - Pabst Theater - Milwaukee, WI *2008-10-17 - Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO *2008-10-18 - In the Venue - Salt Lake City, UT *2008-10-20 - The Showbox - Seattle, WA *2008-10-21 - Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR *2008-10-23 - The Independent - San Francisco, CA *2008-10-24 - The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA *2008-10-25 - Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA *2008-10-26 - Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA *2008-10-29 - Club Congress - Tucson, AZ *2008-10-31 - The Foundation - Lubbock, TX *2008-11-01 - Antones - Austin, TX *2008-11-02 - Granada Theater - Dallas, TX *2008-11-03 - Republic - New Orleans, LA *2008-11-05 - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC *2008-11-06 - 9:30 Club - Washington, D.C. *2008-11-07 - Theater of the Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA *2008-11-08 - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY *2008-11-09 - Webster Hall - New York, NY Videos of this Song *2008-10-25 - Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA Category:Black Pear Tree EP songs Category:Video